Hutchinson announces special legislative sessionLITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Monday said he was calling lawmakers back to the Capitol later this month to consider incentives aimed at luring a defense contract to the state that he says could create nearly 600 new jobs. The Republican governor announced he was calling a special session starting May 26 to consider issuing "super-project" economic development bonds to help Lockheed Martin at its Camden facility. The ...

Ashdown man convicted of lesser charges in couple's slayingASHDOWN (AP) — An Ashdown man has again been convicted, but on lesser charges, of killing a couple and trying to kill the couple's 7-month-old son. The Texarkana Gazette reported Timothy Howard, 45, was found guilty Friday on two counts of second-degree murder and one count of attempted second-degree murder. Howard was originally convicted in 1999 of capital murder and sentenced to death in the killings of Brian Day and Shannon Day and of atte...

Jury selection begins in trial of suspect in girl's deathBENTONVILLE (AP) — Jury selection has begun for the capital murder trial of a Bentonville man charged with kidnapping, raping and killing a 6-year-old girl. Zachary Holly is charged in the Nov. 20, 2012, death of Jersey Bridgeman. He has pleaded not guilty and faces a possible death sentence if convicted. One hundred potential jurors arrived Friday in Benton County Circuit Court and that eight were dismissed because they are related to or know...

Bond trader fined, license revoked for Shoffner dealingsLITTLE ROCK (AP) — An Arkansas bond trader who gave $36,000 to former state Treasurer Martha Shoffner in exchange for bond business has been fined $20,000 and had his securities license revoked. An order released Friday stated Steele Stephens is guilty of two violations of Arkansas' securities law. Hearing officer Jack Pruniski found that Stephens violated securities law when he failed to disclose the amount of commission on a proposed sale be...

Woman killed in head-on collision near MorriltonMORRILTON (AP) — Arkansas State Police say a Houston, Arkansas, woman has been killed in a head-on collision on Highway 9 near Morrilton. A report on the crash stated Emily Jeannette Morse, 70, died Friday afternoon when the car she was driving northbound swerved into the southbound lane and collided with a sport utility vehicle. The crash occurred just south of the Arkansas River bridge south of Morrilton. The report stated the driver of the ...

Little Rock Port board passes resolution on land useLITTLE ROCK (AP) — The Little Rock Port Authority Board of Directors has passed a resolution on land use that encourages what the board calls appropriate use and development of property adjacent to the port's industrial park. The resolution approved Friday comes as a May 13 deadline for public comment approaches on an application by the Quapaw Tribe of Oklahoma to place 160 acres adjacent to the port into federal trust. The board says the reso...

Man found shot to death in Little Rock homeLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Police in Little Rock said a man has been found shot to death in a home south of midtown. Lt. Sidney Allen said officers were called about 5:30 a.m. Friday by a person who said a neighbor had reported a person at another home had been shot. Allen said officers found Jonathan Brown, 33, dead with at least one gunshot wound and that detectives are searching for Ronnie Collins, 32, in connection with the shooting. Police said C...

Arkansas State Board of Trustees approve tuition increaseJONESBORO (AP) — The Arkansas State University Board of Trustees has approved tuition and fee increases at its meeting in Jonesboro. The board met Friday and approved a 4.27 percent increase in tuition and fees that will raise the average cost to a full-time student at the flagship campus in Jonesboro by $165 per semester. The board also approved tuition increases of 4.6 percent at ASU-Beebe; 3.8 percent at ASU-Newport; and 2.7 percent at ASU ...

Body found in creek in southwest Little RockLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Police in Little Rock said a body has been found in a creek in the southwestern part of the city. Lt. Sidney Allen said the body was found Friday morning. He said there cause of death, gender of the body and how long the person had been dead were not known. Allen said there were no obvious signs of trauma to the body and that it was sent to the state medical examiner's office for identification and to try and determine the c...

Transportation agency pulls bids on 9 projectsLITTLE ROCK (AP) — State transportation officials have pulled bids on nine road and bridge construction projects worth an estimated $120 million due to federal funding concerns. The Thursday announcement marks the fourth time this year the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department has trimmed its list of projects during the bid-letting stage. Seventy projects worth more than $280 million have been suspended so far. The department has slim...

Wal-Mart targets one-time Target stores in CanadaNEW YORK (AP) — Wal-Mart, already Canada's biggest retailer, wasted little time in cementing that title after its rival Target retreated back to the U.S. The company is buying 13 former Target stores and one distribution center and said it will hire 3,400 new employees. It is spending $290 million to buy and renovate the stores and said that will created 1,500 construction jobs. Target Corp. closed the last of its 133 Canadian stores in April ...

Person wanted in fatal shooting found walking along highwayHOPE (AP) — Authorities say a person wanted in a fatal shooting of an Oklahoma man this week was found walking along an Arkansas highway. The Texarkana Gazette reported the 49-year-old Idabel, Oklahoma, resident was taken into custody Thursday morning by an Arkansas State Police trooper on state Highway 32. Authorities in southwest Arkansas and southeast Oklahoma were alerted Wednesday night about the shooting and began searching the area for ...

Officials update revenue forecastLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Arkansas officials have revised upward the state's general revenue forecast for the current fiscal year by 2.1 percent from a forecast in November. Department of Finance and Administration officials presented the revised forecast Wednesday to the legislative Joint Committee on Economic and Tax Policy. The forecast predicts a net revenue increase for the fiscal year ending June 30 of about $129 million or 2.6 percent over fis...

Governor names task force on highway fundingLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Gov. Asa Hutchinson has announced members of a task force on highway funding. Hutchinson on Wednesday released the names of 20 members of the Working Group on Highway Funding. The group will be chaired by Duncan Baird, who is Hutchinson's budget director. Other members include state lawmakers, city and county elected officials, highway commission and transportation department officials, representatives from chambers of comme...

Settlement ends lawsuit over pregnant inmates' care at jailLITTLE ROCK (AP) — A lawsuit alleging Pulaski County jail employees and contractors failed to provide proper medical treatment to pregnant women has been settled but the terms of the deal are unclear. The suit claimed the jail failed to call ambulances, physicians and get woman in labor or having miscarriages to a hospital between July 2012 and December 2013. The jail denied prenatal vitamins, extra meals and timely access to doctor and exams ...

Maumelle city panel OKs settlement in sexual harassment caseMAUMELLE (AP) — A $15,000 settlement has been reached in a case between a central Arkansas city and two of its employees over accusations that City Clerk and Treasurer Joshua Clausen sexually harassed them. The payment approved Monday night by the Maumelle City Council ends a federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission investigation against Clausen, who's in his third term after being re-elected in November without opposition. Maumelle May...

Residents lobby Jonesboro panel to add protections for gaysJONESBORO (AP) — A group of people, including two ministers, are lobbying the Jonesboro City Council to consider an anti-discrimination ordinance extending protections for gay and lesbian city employees. Several residents asked aldermen during a public commentary period at the Tuesday meeting to weigh changing the city's current employment policy. The Jonesboro Sun reported the 12 council members didn't respond to residents' comments during th...

Ex-gynecologist in Paragould sentenced for voyeurismPARAGOULD (AP) — A former Paragould gynecologist has been sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to video voyeurism involving female patients at his clinic. Prosecutors said Paul Becton, 69, was sentenced after pleading guilty Wednesday in Greene County Circuit Court to four charges as part of a plea deal in which four other charges were dismissed. District Attorney Scott Ellington said the victims approved the deal in order ...

1 buffalo dead, another still missing after escapeHOT SPRINGS (AP) — A buffalo has been found dead in Hot Springs, leaving only one animal still missing of the six that escaped a farm and roamed the central Arkansas city two weeks ago. City spokeswoman Terry Payne said the owner found the buffalo's body Monday in a ravine near a neighborhood where the herd had eluded authorities. The buffalo showed signs of decomposition but its cause of death was unclear. The six buffaloes got loose from a n...

Geena Davis launches Bentonville film fest for women, diversityLOS ANGELES (AP) — With help from a slew of corporate sponsors, Geena Davis and filmmakers focused on women and diversity have taken over Bentonville, Arkansas, a city of 40,000 best known as Wal-Mart's home base. While it's not the first film festival to specialize in diversity, Davis said it's the only film competition to promise theatrical releases for winning entries. "It's unheard of in the world, actually," the Oscar-winner said in a tel...